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Opinion: October 2007
Clarification: 26 October 2007
26 October 2007 | Letters
In an article on prostate cancer entitled Men’s health needs to be advanced (Irish Medical Times on 21 September 2007) it was stated that Greenlight laser therapy was available for public patients in two hospitals: Tallaght Hospital in Dublin and... Read more
IPU should be able to negotiate for chemists
Michael D Higgins, TD for Galway West, President of the Labour Party, Leinster House, Dublin 2 | 26 October 2007 | Letters
Dear Editor, The current dispute between the Health Service Executive (HSE) and pharmacists which has led a number of pharmacists to withdraw from the methadone prescription scheme, could have been averted had the Government accepted a Private Members Bill I... Read more
Pesticides are being overused in the EU
Dr Elizabeth Cullen, Irish Doctors Environmental Association, Kilcullen, Co Kildare | 26 October 2007 | Letters
Dear Editor, Although much attention is currently being given to the financial problems in the Irish health service, not all interventions will result in increased expenditure. Unnecessary use of pesticides within European Union countries is a significant threat to children’s... Read more
Wasting the investment
James Bannon TD, Fine Gael Longford/Westmeath, Leinster House, Dublin 2 | 26 October 2007 | Letters
Dear Editor, The Health Minister is failing to address the shortage of posts for qualified physiotherapists even though the health service is crying out for these graduates and the services they provide. At this stage, I am advising people to... Read more
Evidence does not suggest that bigger equals better
Dr Illona Duffy | 26 October 2007 | Guests
Welcome to our new editor Terence Cosgrave– I have to be nice so that he will continue my occasional rant in Irish Medical Times. Seeing the change brings back memories of Aindreas McEntee. During his wonderful stewardship of IMT he... Read more
Molloy shoots from the hip on breathalysers and the Gardaí
Dr Mick Molloy | 26 October 2007 | Mick Molloy
Having young children means sleeplessness, both for you and them. When children are constantly upset and restless at night you may find yourself tearing out your hair after several attempts at getting them to sleep. My approach at pacifying my... Read more
Media's 'killer bugs' frighten patients
Dr Mark Hannon | 26 October 2007 | Mark Hannon
It has been another interesting couple of weeks in the world of Irish and international healthcare. It’s very disturbing to hear reports of the recent resignation of the head of the Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells Hospitals National Health Service Trust... Read more
Questions, answers and assumptions
Dr Mick Molloy | 19 October 2007 | Mick Molloy
Strong words came from the Taoiseach this weekend where he challenged consultants who are criticising the current health service to go and actually work in it. I am not quite sure what he is suggesting here, especially as his own... Read more
Now that talking is over the end game begins
Kealan Flynn | 19 October 2007 | Kealan Flynn
Despite claims from some on the consultant side that there is more binding them to the desirability of a deal with employers than dividing them from actually making one, it is clear that this process is close to collapse. After... Read more
Minors should not be in adult facilities
Senator Frances Fitzgerald, Fine Gael Seanad Leader and Health Spokesperson | 19 October 2007 | Letters
Dear Editor, Recent statistics from the Mental Health Commission revealed that 154 minors between the ages of 13 and 17 have been admitted to adult services and psychiatric facilities. This is an absolutely unacceptable situation. The Government must immediately address... Read more
Closure of Nenagh ward is budget-driven
Senator Alan Kelly, Labour Party representative, Tipperary North | 19 October 2007 | Letters
Dear Editor, The recent decision to close a full 10-bed ward in Nenagh Hospital is an indictment of the HSE and is symbolic of where they see our National Health Service going. It is now plain to see that Nenagh... Read more
Irish medical training can learn much from Australian rural model
Dr Ernan Hession, FRACGP, FACRRM, Clinical supervisor/GP, Swan Hill District Hospital, Victoria, Australia | 12 October 2007 | Letters
Dear Editor, I read your recent article on serious deficits in medical education facilities in Ireland. Although I know this is as yet to be fully published, I thought your readers might be interested in changes occurring in the Australian... Read more
Health managers need to be finance-smart
Dr Mick Molloy | 12 October 2007 | Mick Molloy
The latest freeze on recruitment is clearly having an effect on patient care. But the number of patients who are not receiving timely treatment compared to those that are, is few. At least this is what the Department of Health... Read more
Time to bridge the gap
12 October 2007 | Editorial
Terence Cosgrave welcomes Mary Harney’s speech at the IHCA banquet which indicated a desire to have consultant involvement in health decisions — once they sign up to a new contract Last Saturday night the Minister for Health Mary Harney began... Read more
A case of rough justice from the media circus
Dr Joyce Galbraith | 12 October 2007 | Guests
The joke I saw in Private Eye recently caught my attention as being sadly relevant not only to the changed times we live in but to certain features of the tragic McCann case. A young doctor, stethoscope draped over his... Read more
N-lite ineffective for acne vulgaris?
Dr Michelle Murphy, Dr John F Bourke & Dr J Fergus Lyons, Department of Dermatology, South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital, Cork | 12 October 2007 | Letters
Dear Editor, As dermatologists with no financial interest in the laser industry, we stand by our opinion that N-lite is relatively ineffective for acne vulgaris. The two small studies (41 and 40 patients respectively) have shown contradictory results as outlined... Read more
Time to catch up with an old friend
Dr Mark Hannon | 12 October 2007 | Mark Hannon
I was recently in the US for a short trip which proved interesting and informative. Few places in the world offer as much variety in terms of culture, music, architecture and overall life experience as the States. However, to listen... Read more
Specialist Gardai welcomed by Rape Crisis Centre CEO
Ellen O’Malley-Dunlop, Chief Executive, Dublin Rape Crisis Clinic | 12 October 2007 | Letters
Dear Editor, The Dublin Rape Crisis Centre (DRCC) welcomes the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Mr Brian Lenihan’s commitment in his recent address to the Dáil to prioritise the monitoring of sex offenders and to co-operate with the... Read more
Can a no-win situation ever be ameliorated?
Dr Mick Molloy | 05 October 2007 | Mick Molloy
When any service changes direction cutbacks will be announced. But what do they mean for the health service? This is a pertinent question given the column inches allocated to overspends in the health service and how belts will have to... Read more
Smokers sacrifice sight
Des Kenny, Chief Executive, National Council for the Blind of Ireland, Whitworth Road, Drumcondra, Dublin 9 | 05 October 2007 | Letters
Dear Editor, Smokers are up to four times more likely to lose their sight to age-related macular degeneration (AMD) — the leading cause of blindness in people over the age of 50 — than people who have never smoked. The... Read more
Traditions and standards will continue
05 October 2007 | Editorial
In his first editorial, new Irish Medical Times Editor Terence Cosgrave explains how the high standards of the paper have remained constant throughout the years — standards he intends to uphold and, where possible, improve I first encountered Irish Medical... Read more
Setting the bar high for healthcare bureaucrats
Kealan Flynn | 05 October 2007 | Kealan Flynn
In January 2006, I wrote in this column that double-digit increases in the health budget would be possible only as long as the economy powered ahead and that we could be confident about the outlook for that year, and that... Read more
Very little evidence that cancer centralisation had happened
Dr Harry Comber, Director, National Cancer Registry, Elm Court, Cork | 05 October 2007 | Letters
Dear Editor, A study by the National Cancer Registry is quoted, under the headline ‘Little evidence to back centralised cancer care’, in the Irish Medical Times (21 September 2007) as showing “little evidence to support centralising cancer services”. This is... Read more